Men’s Ballon D’Or Nominees Named – Klinsmann In For Coach of the Year

22 of the greatest players in the world join 2013 winner Cristiano Ronaldo as nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or Award for the World Player of the Year.

Ronaldo should steal the trophy for the second time. (Getty Images)

The Real Madrid and Portugal superstar will be favored to emerge with the honor for the second year running, although he faces tough competition from a group featuring his rival Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina) and group of six Germans.

It can be no surprise that so many of Germany’s World Cup winning side received recognition. A sign of Bayern Munich’s dominance of the German game, is that all six of the German nominee’s played for Bayern Munich for most of the year, with Toni Kroos having moved to Real Madrid over the summer. Arjen Robben of the Netherlands also plays for the Munich superteam.

Six of the 23 play or played for Real Madrid at some point in 2014, and El Clasico rivals Barcelona placed four of their stars on the Ballon d’Or shortlist.

Nationally, Spain and Argentina each landed three nominations to place second behind Germany, while Belgium and France had two nominees a piece. One player each from Wales, Portugal, Sweden, Brazil, the Netherlands, Colombia, and the Ivory Coast also received nominations.

Suarez will miss out through his biting incident. (Getty Images)

Uruguayan bad boy Luis Suarez paid the price for his bad behavior at the World Cup, missing out on a Player of the Year nod, in all likelihood for his bite on Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.

10 coaching nominees were also named, with U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann among the selections for his work in leading the American team through the World Cup “Group of Death” in Brazil.

Klinsmann is the first American based coach to be nominated for the honor, although it should be pointed out that Coach of the Year was first awarded in 2010.
Previous winners receiving nominations include inaugural honoree Jose Mourinho (Chelsea), and 2011 winner Pep Guardiola, honored in for his work with Barcelona and nominated this year for his work with German giants Bayern Munich.

A sign of Bayern Munich’s dominance of the German game, is that all six of the German nominee’s played for Germany for most of the year, with Toni Kroos having moved to Real Madrid over the summer.

Muller (L) had a fantastic World Cup and should have taken the golden ball. (Getty Images)

The shortlist of 23 will be whittled to a more manageable group of three finalists on December 1. On that date FIFA and France Football will also announce the names of the three women, as well as the three coaches for women’s soccer and three coaches for men’s soccer, who have made it to the final round.

The three nominees for the FIFA Puskás Award and the FIFA FIFPro World XI shortlist for the best forwards (15), midfielders (15), defenders (20) and goalkeepers (5) will be unveiled in the end of November and the beginning of December.

Here are the 23 nominees for Player of the Year and Coach of the Year in the Men’s game.

One Response to Men’s Ballon D’Or Nominees Named – Klinsmann In For Coach of the Year

And how far would the US have gone with experience vice so many new players that did nothing except take a seat? Until FIFA is a trusted name, we will continue to have them put up names like Luis Suarez and Klinsmann who have no place in the awards this year.

The current US MNT players have spoken as well and we know how many of them feel about JK…we sure as heck know how he feels about them.